Pispalan kumppanuus ry

Pispalan kuumppanuus ry was set up to support local associations in the urban village of Pispala, now part of Tampere in Finland. It is based in Pispala Library.
In Finland its relatively easy to found an association. 50 Euro and 3 members is all that is needed for official registration and to get the ry status that allows legal functioning aspects. These associations vary in size and the smaller ones often lack capacity to engage fully in all programs. As a result supportive umbrella organizations exist in the third sector.

Kumppanuus means partnership in Finnish and ry means registered association. So Kumppanuus is an umbrella organization for other associations connected with Pispala.
Associations
The following associations are members of or interact with Kumppannus.

*Pispalan saunayhdistys ry which runs the oldest active public sauna in Finland called Rajaportin sauna. Rajaportin hosts an annual day of the Finnish sauna and also supports community activities with a café and a community rewards system of free sauna passes for local volunteers and some performers in other places.
*Pispala kulttuuriyhdistys ry which runs the Pispala Centre of Contempory Arts at Hirvitalo. The Cultural Association organises various events both outdoors in various places around the village and within the gallery which is situated upon "moose street", Hirvikatu.
*Pispalan kirjastoyhdistys ry runs a community library locals founded in 2001, when the Tampere City Library closed its branch library in Pispala. It contains an anarchist bookshelf, computers and small gallery space. Occasional lectures are also held in the library.
*Kurpitsaliike ry runs Kurpistatalo, which means Pumpkin House a community gardening project that celebrates the cycle of the year with traditional pagan festivals, music and also has various allotments.
*Maailmantango ry - World of Tango Festival, that happens throughout Tampere.
*Pispalan Teatteri ry - Pispalan Theatre Association, that supports a local theatre company.
*Tarttuvan taiteen keskus ry - The Contagious Art Centre, which was focused on a building in Pyynikki.
Social Inclusion
Kumppanuus places people in work training schemes that are socially excluded. These are hosted in the various associations. It is also working with migrants to Finland as part of an integration agenda. Those with mental or substance dependence issues can sometime be worked with too.
There is now European Union funding in a project called the Välke-projekti to develop this capacity.
 
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